I find this quite interesting. The rules about blocking a driveway don't only apply to being on the side of the road but also the public property part between the road and the privately owned section.
I wouldn't have parked there but I wouldn't have complained if someone wasn't blocking the route along the footpath. It's pretty common that places around Wellington don't have anywhere else to park.
I guess I can see both sides of this argument. Yes the council might be following the law (or might not be, based on the later part of the article), but it's not exactly well known and it's a bit of a dick move for the council to change their stance and not tell anyone, just double the fine then start handing out fines.